In the blink of an eye, JK had gone abroad for two days. However, he has not even called back once so Jimin keeps on feeling something is wrong. At night on the weekend, Jimin is lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. No matter what, he cannot sleep......
Is it possible that he heard what he said that day? If he heard them, Boss will surely not let him off so easily. Normally when there is nothing, he will also find something to bully him a little.
Maybe he is just too busy? Wonder what time is it in America? Should he make a phone call over there?
Jimin uses his fingers to count the time difference. Suddenly, his mobile phone rings.
Can it be Boss's phone call? He does not even bother to wear his slippers before running to get his mobile phone. It is an unknown local number. Jimin is somewhat disappointed and readily picks up the call. He hears Mrs Park's happy and excited voice: "Jimin, we are in S City train station la!"
It can be considered a collective surprise attack by the Park family as five people came. They are Jimin's parents, Tae Min's parents, as well as grandpa Park. Jimin manages to meet them at the train station and complains: "Why didn't you call before you come ah?"
Mrs Park smilingly replies: "To surprise you."
Jimin is speechless. Ha, really surprised.
"It just so happens that you and Tae Min are here so we take this opportunity to come for a visit. At first, we wanted to come when the weather is hotter, but your grandfather has been a bit unwell recently. However, the hospital at home cannot find out what is wrong so it is better to come early to the hospital in the big city for a check-up."
"How is grandpa?" Jimin is startled. When Mrs. Park answers that the problem is not big, Jimin is relieved, "So it is decided to go to which hospital ah. It is difficult to get an appointment in a large hospital so I will go early to queue up first."
"You don't need to bother. Tae Min's boyfriend is more capable than you. Your elder aunt said to ask him to go and find somebody."
...... But Tae Min did not come to S City.
Jimin glances at his mother, but in the end does not say anything. He decides to find time to go early to register. Not long after Jimin returned to S City, she received a phone call from Tae Min. It turns out that he did not come to S City but went to D City so he asked Jimin to help him to keep it a secret.
When he is thinking about this, Tae Min appears and walks hurriedly to say a few words to elder aunt and the others. Then, he anxiously pulls Jimin aside, "Jimin, you did not tell them I am in D City, right?"
"I did not say. You rushed over from D City?"
"Yes."
Jimin is very confused, "Tae Min, what is the matter? You must at least tell me."
Tae Min purses up his lip, "I broke up with him after Lunar New Year."
Jimin is taken aback, "What happened?"
Tae Min probably usually doesn't have anybody to confide in. This time when Jimin asks, he actually uncharacteristically says a lot, "I hate the way my mother flatters and curry favor with him. He asked me to please him, and I am not allowed to make him angry. Am I not a person? Jimin, I really cannot stand it anymore."
" ...... Then why you still left home?"
"I have wanted to leave long ago. All my life, I have not lived for myself. Anyway, I cannot work there anymore. By chance, I found a job in D City online."
Jimin worries: "But I am certain we cannot conceal this for long. Ah, what if your mother calls him ......."
"He has come to S city so he would have changed his mobile phone number to the one here." Tae Min bites his lip, "I know it cannot be concealed for long, just as long as it can."
Seeing him usually submissive cousin so determined, of course Jimin will support him. He nods his head and determines to help him to hide the truth to the very end.
In the second day in S City, elder aunt finds out about this matter.
Elder aunt is simply furious. She shouts loudly at Tae Min in the middle of the street. About wasting her effort in bringing him up, she has such a poor life and even vents her anger on Tae Min's dad. She scolds him for having no future prospects resulting in her not being able to live a good life.
When a crowd starts to gather around them, Jimin's parents quickly try to soothe elder aunt but fail to calm her raging temper. Finally grandpa Park shouts: "Go home and settle this, stop making a scene!"
Elder aunt is still unwilling to stop. Grandpa Park's face becomes flushed, and he falls to the ground.
This time, the whole family is scared out of their wits and stops quarreling. They quickly send him to the hospital, but the hospital refuses to admit him.
The doctor in the emergency room reluctantly puts down the phone and shakes his head, "Go to the emergency room for a drip now."
The hospital refuses to admit him, and he cannot do anything about it. Seeing the family's worried faces, he tries to reassure them: "It is also the same there. Go on the drip for a day first to observe his condition."
Grandpa Park has waken up now but still appears drowsy. Just now on their way to the hospital, the family only found out that the old man's body is very hot, the waist is red and swollen and some areas even have blisters and turned blackish. This does not look like the result of fainting from anger. It seems that the old man has not been feeling well for a while but he did not want to trouble anyone until he cannot endure it anymore. In the end, because of elder aunt's outburst, this made him angry and led to him collapsing.
Since the emergency room doctor says so, all they can do is follow his advice. It is already late afternoon and grandpa has just went through a round of check-ups so he will not be able to bear to go to another hospital to be tormented again. Moreover, other hospital will be better compared to here?
Jimin has often heard that it is difficult to seek medical assistance in the big city. When something happens on oneself, only then one knows how "difficult" things are.
This emergency room doctor is very warm and helpful. He comes to check several times and tells them what to pay attention to before getting off work. At night, grandpa sleeps comfortably after the drip. Finally, everyone feels relief.
The next day, grandpa is still on the drip. His situation is neither good nor bad, but the reassurance from the doctor gives them some confidence in his recovery. Tomorrow is Monday so Mrs. Park asks Jimin to go to work. Although Jimin does not feel reassured, many family members are here so he is not really needed. If he takes too many leave, when something urgent really happens, it will be difficult to take more time off. Thus, he nods his head and decides to go to work.
Who knows on his way to work on Monday, Jimin receives a distressed phone call from Mrs. Park: "Jimin, hurry up and come over. The emergency room doctor said your grandpa cannot stay anymore."
When you stay in an emergency room, a new prescription is needed every day. Today, the emergency room has a change in the doctor on duty. After the removal of the medicated drip, grandpa Park could still lie in the bed. Later, the doctor comes over and asks grandpa Park to vacate the bed and have the drip sitting elsewhere.
Grandpa park is still having a fever and the swelling on the waist has not subsided so how can he sit up? The Park family argues strongly, but the doctor ignores them completely. He even says rightfully family is not allowed to spend the night in an emergency room so they have broken the rules.
Mrs. Park is angry and anxious, wiping away her tears while saying to Jimin: "At first, everything was okay. What did that hospital scalper tell him, resulting in this?"
There are many middle-aged men idling around the emergency room. Jimin also only found out yesterday that these people are hospital scalpers. Yesterday, a hospital scalper approached the Park family, but they ignored him so he is seeking revenge today.
Elder aunt boldly says: "We will not go. See if they dare to chase us out!"
Ya, can only be like this.
Jimin slowly sits down on the chair next to him. His heart is ice-cold and weak.
He is aware all along that this world is realistic and tough. However, in his ordinary life he does not have many opportunity to encounter such blatant discrimination. When this kind of thing happens to him personally, he only starts to feel the slicing pain of small people being forced to become unruly.
He unexpectedly starts to hate his former self, how can he have lived such a naïve life? Why he can be so carefree and without worries?
Momentarily, his heart is filled with desperation and despair.
He initially had thought grandpa would recover fast. The doctor in the emergency room in the first day gave him confidence, but he is doubtful now. What to do? Ought to do what? The doctor who is on duty today will be finishing work soon so the hospital will not "persuade" them to leave but what about tomorrow? What if the hospital wants them to vacate the bed tomorrow?
Seeing his family members' anxious expressions, Jimin clenches his mobile phone and finally makes a call to the other side of the ocean.
The phone rings several times before being picked up. Then, he hears that familiar voice.
"JK ......"
By just uttering his name, Jimin's tears all of a sudden rush out and all the suppressed emotions seem to burst out in a flash. Everything is so unbearable until he is speechless and his heart feels suffocated.
"Park Jimin."
When Boss calls his full name including the surname, it means he is in a bad mood. If it is as it used to be, Jimin inevitably will be trembling in fear, but now it seems like suddenly he is being comforted.
"I ......"
Once again,she is chocked up with emotions.
The phone is quiet for a while .
"Jimin, where are you?"
Park Jimin says: "I am in a hospital."